James S Brady Briefing Room
by mrytale2-5
Summary: My response to JJ's departure.  As ever I own none of the characters...just playing.


JJ looked up at the clock as it just ticked around to 7:15am, sighing as she realised that Henry would now be waking up and demanding extremely vocally his breakfast...banana porridge followed by toast and jam. JJ half laughed as she thought of her young son's appetite, for such a small boy he couldn't half put it away, but instead of sitting at the kitchen table helping her 18 month old son learn how to spoon the sloppy food into his mouth she was here...preparing for the next case.

* * *

JJ's eyes were firmly focused on the file opened on her desk , the mug of coffee sitting close by her left hand as she turned yet another page and scribbled some notes with her right hand on the yellow legal pad beside the file. Sighing loudly as she closed the file and put it in the consult pile, ready to be dished out to one of the team when they got in shortly. Once again JJ's eyes fell on the picture taken two weeks ago of her and a grinning Henry sitting on her lap, it had taken Will nearly ten minutes to capture the image with the toddler refusing to cooperate, instead all he had wanted to do was to clamber on top of his mom and throw his arms around her neck in a warm embrace. Smiling at the memory JJ reached over and took a hold of her mug, squirming slightly as the almost cold liquid slid down her throat, huffing in defeat JJ stretched out an arm and took another outstanding file from the top of the mountain on her desk.

"You look like you could do with this Agent Jareau."

JJ looked up startled, completely engrossed in her work she had failed to hear anybody approaching and her mouth dropped even further when she saw Section Chief Strauss standing in the doorway with two cups of coffee in her hands.

"Ma'am?"

JJ frowned slightly as the older woman walked into the office, closing the door with her high-heeled shoe.

"Coffee Agent Jareau?"

JJ quickly regained her composure, falling into the professional character that had served her so well over the years, smiling graciously at the disliked Section Chief.

"Thank you very much ma'am."

JJ stood up and gratefully took the warm Styrofoam cup of Starbucks coffee that Strauss held out for her, JJ felt her cheeks flush as Strauss looked at the chair opposite JJ's, yet again it was piled high with brown FBI files.

"Sorry ma'am, I'll just move them for you."

"Don't worry Agent Jareau I'll do it, do you want them anywhere in particular?"

"Umm...the floor will be fine."

JJ stuttered slightly, her mind racing to come up with the reason for Strauss's early morning visit, especially as she couldn't recollect a time when the woman had been in her office before. Strauss nodded as she placed her coffee on a tiny circle of spare space on JJ's desk before she carefully lifted the pile off and placed it on the floor, retrieving her coffee as she finally took her seat.

"You're in early Agent Jareau."

"Yes ma'am, unfortunately the amount of cases referred to the team never seems to lessen."

Strauss smiled as she reached over and picked up the photo frame.

"It's Henry isn't it?"

"Yes ma'am."

"He's a fine looking little boy, you must be proud?"

"I certainly am."

JJ allowed a warm smile to creep across her face, her demeanour always happy and relaxed when talking about the son she loved so much.

"Well you must be wondering what I'm doing in your office?"

"Ma'am?"

"I'm not stupid Agent Jareau, I know that I have made myself the enemy in the team's eyes, I only have myself to blame for the decisions I took but at the time I truly believed that they were for the benefit of the FBI as a whole."

JJ just raised her eyebrows in disbelief, the whole situation that she found herself in was getting stranger by the minute.

"You have risen fast in the FBI Agent Jareau, you are extremely talented in your job and the immense work ethic and the rapport you have with the media has not gone unnoticed. I am sure that you have heard that White House Press Secretary had to resign last week, an unfortunate incident involving a call girl?"

JJ nodded and wondered where Strauss was heading with the conversation.

"The President saw your Press Conference after the last case and was impressed, he asked for your file and he liked what he read. After speaking to the Director he would like to invite you to the White House, he wants to meet you in person."

JJ felt her mouth drop open at the revelation, for a person whose career was built on words JJ suddenly felt at a loss for them. Strauss saw the bewilderment and smiled.

"Don't be surprised Agent Jareau, as I said before you are very good at your job and now that the most coveted position for someone like you has become available...the President want you."

"But...I...oh god!"

Strauss laughed softly as she stood up.

"I'll leave you to think about it Agent Jareau, but the President wants to see you at 10am, there'll be a car waiting outside in twenty minutes. Good luck Agent Jareau."

Strauss turned and quickly left an astounded JJ sitting at her desk.

* * *

In the fifteen minutes since Strauss had left her office JJ hadn't moved a muscle, her coffee had yet again gone cold but that was the furthest from her minds as she tried to process what Strauss had said. She was going to meet the President! That thought in itself was scary enough but to top it all off she was there for a job interview...what was she going to tell Will, the team? JJ shook her head as she desperately tried to get her head around the situation and in that minute made the decision to keep quiet until she knew one way or another, for all she knew she would fail to make an impression and not be offered the job, there was no point in telling anyone until she was certain.

* * *

JJ's palms were sweaty, her fingers all clammy as she held the Blackberry in her hands knowing that this was the only opportunity she would have to explain her departure, her thumbs hit the buttons and then the send button with only two minutes to spare. Taking a deep breath she pocketed the cell and wiped her hands on her suit jacket as she followed the President towards the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room in the West Wing of the White House.

* * *

The team were sitting in the conference room, all curious as to why JJ wasn't there, she had left the files up in the room with a note that she'd be back later, knowing that there would be a perfectly acceptable reason for her absence the team had got down to work until simultaneously six cell phones beeped to signify a new message. Confusion hit the team as they quickly opened the message.

_Sorry I didn't get to say goodbye, put CNN on to find out why xx_

Hotch grabbed the control off the table and quickly flicked the news channel on, looking around his team he saw the same look of sadness but intertwined with pride as they watched.

"Mr President!"

"Mr President!"

The calls from the reporters rang out as the President stood at the lectern and raised his hands, immediately causing the room to fall silent.

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen, as you and I know you all had great delight in reporting the digressions of my last Press Secretary Mr Davies and thanks to you I have been short of a Press Secretary."

The President stopped as quiet laughter filled the room whilst back in the BAU conference room all eyes were fixed firmly on the large screen hanging on the door.

"As much as I love to come and see you fine people I do have other things to do...like run the country! So ladies and gentlemen I would like to introduce you to the new White House Press Secretary...Jennifer Jareau...JJ?"

JJ took a deep breath and smiled as she walked towards the podium.

* * *

The conference room was silent as the twelve eyes darted around the room looking at each other, nobody knowing quite what to say...immensely proud of JJ and the job she had moved onto but shocked at the suddenness of her departure and the loss of a member of their family.

_**Fin.**_


End file.
